Girl Uprooted
by Semper Caritas
Summary: Born and raised in Kumogakure, follow Michiko Kihara as she becomes a Konoha shinobi. Question the tradition of Clan Kihara. Laugh and smile at the moments of shared friendship. Wait on the edge of your seat for the romance. Though the Great Five Nations are at peace, there will always be trouble ahead. Hatred will always return. Note: Story centers around OC and next generation.
1. New Village

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters that will be featured in this story. This is purely a fictional work that will garner no profits.**

 **I've been out of the fanfic writing game for a while now, but I just recently re-watched Naruto and had this floating around in my thoughts now that there's a new generation to toy with. Tell me what you think.**

* * *

 _Chapter 1_

The cool night breeze that gently grazed the bamboo covering of the sliding door was not a comfort to the child lying upon a futon. She listened to the wind carefully, memorizing the sound so that she might have one more comfort of home to take with her when she left in the morning. It wouldn't be enough, just the sound of the wind. No memory would be enough to solidify home in her mind when she would be so far away.

It was what made her lay awake, her eyes staring up at the wooden ceiling above her. There was a lit candle in a corner opposite her, offering the faintest of light in the otherwise dark room. With nothing to see above, she focused on her thoughts.

Tomorrow she would leave behind her clan, her home, her parents, her village - and never return.

Two years had passed since her second eldest brother had left for the Village Hidden in the Sand. He was to live the rest of his life there, pledge his loyalties there. And she would be sent to the Village Hidden in the Leaves, to Konoha. The same would be expected of her.

But was it possible? She was going to miss her Mama and Papa very much. Even thinking of all the things she would miss brought stinging tears to the corners of her eyes at that moment. However, she could not stay. It was the rule.

Whenever the Head of the Kihara Clan had more than one possible heir, those born after the first were to be sent to other shinobi villages. Her Papa told her it was to prevent internal fights within the clan, but he never had a sibling himself. He couldn't understand the pain of separation from one's family.

She sniffled, burrowing herself further underneath the thick blanket atop her body. It was warm.

* * *

"Michiko, be well. You know Mama loves you," her Mama told her, hugging the little girl too tightly. It was hard to breath, but Michiko didn't mind. She wanted to hold onto her Mama forever.

But her Mama pulled away and she was faced instead with her Papa. He simply stared down with his intimidating gaze, his mouth a thin line. It was the same expression he wore when he was scolding someone.

"Listen, Michiko. You will represent our clan in Konoha. Should you fail to present a good example, our name will be shamed. So, you should continue to do well in your studies and become a good kunoichi. Do not fail this task. Understood?"

To that, she offered a short nod, meeting his gaze only for a few brief moments. Studying would be no problem, but she didn't understand what it meant to be a clan representative. She was being sent away from the clan forever, not just a few days. It would be no good to contradict or ask questions though.

The shinobi escorting her, four jonins from her clan, turned at her father's hand signal. One pressed a hand lightly against her back, nudging her away from the front gate leading into her clan's area and further towards the road. They didn't want to delay any longer.

She turned her head while walking, looking to her Mama, who stood watching from the gate. "Mama," she called to the woman, "I'll be fine! I love you!" Not trusting herself to hold back the tears if she continued to look back, Michiko looked forward once more, her gaze focused only on the garment of the shinobi in front of her

Her sniffles continued for quite a lengthy portion of the walk, teardrops eventually falling upon sand. The tiny bit of salt water stayed but for just a moment before it was absorbed, forever lost to the ground. In a way, she was like her tears. The further they moved away from Kumogakure, the more clear it became that she was never going to return as Lady Michiko Kihara.

"We're going to start moving faster now. Are you ready, Lady Michiko?" The question was posed by a friendly face peering down at her. She recognized this jonin from her clan, Ayame, one of the people who'd been there to train her over the years. But Ayame's smile was no longer able to distract her from the pain inside her heart, no longer able to reassure her that she still had time before she was to be sent away.

"Yes," she replied softly.

And so they began to run at a faster pace. The journey lasted five days, though it would have been shorter had they not stopped at inns along the way.

* * *

She waited outside the Hokage's office, transitioning from lacing her fingers together to rubbing her index finger and thumb together due to nervous energy. Perhaps it would be decided that she wasn't welcome here afterall. Then would she go back to Kumogakure, to her parents?

The voices inside were not loud enough for her to overhear, or rather she tried not to listen. What she'd seen of this village was certainly different from her own - though it wasn't hers anymore. This was to be her village now. She kept having to remind herself of this.

Sighing, she turned to look out the windows and down upon the many buildings. There had been a Chunin Exam recently, but something had gone wrong and the exam was called off in the final round. She'd heard about it back home but could now see construction from a distant on the stadium that'd been destroyed.

It was good that her Papa had decided not to attend, though she had wanted to see her second eldest brother. He might have been there among the crowd. It would have been an opportunity to see him again after two years. Though already a chunin, it was possible he could have gone along with other Suna shinobi. When she brought this to her Papa's attention, he'd told her that her brother was no longer a child and was sure to be on a mission.

That had always been a fault of hers to her Papa. Even after growing tall enough to climb up stairwells by herself, she continued to behave like a child. She did not train with as much diligence as her eldest brother, instead preferring to gaze at clouds and play with other children. Such behavior had resulted in punishment so that she might learn to act differently.

Finally, she heard the sound of a door opening and turned quickly to look upon the faces of the jonin from her clan. She expected only them, but two men were with them, staring down upon her. One had blond hair and appeared friendly from his smile, whereas the other, the one with his hair in a ponytail, looked as if he'd rather be somewhere else.

"Michiko?"

It was the friendly one that spoke to her, so she looked at him.

"Welcome! I'm looking forward to watching you become a great Konoha shinobi!"

The greeting was unexpected and it made her take a step back, as if she were trying to retreat from the man. But there was nowhere to go as the wall was behind her. She looked down at her feet, noticing the dust upon her shoes and the little signs of tearing at the edges from all the walking she'd done recently.

Glancing back up, she felt that the man was waiting for her response. If she didn't give one, he wasn't going to stop smiling. "Thank you," she responded quickly, bowing her head.

"Of course! Shikamaru, you're going to escort her around, yeah?"

"Yeah, I'll do it. It won't take long."

"Thank you!" The blond-haired man told the other, the one who began to walk towards Michiko. He had a unique beard, perhaps this would be how she would come to remember him.

But then, maybe this would be the first and last time they met. Konohagakure was not small and there were surely to be many new faces she would encounter. It was possibly there would be so many that others would be forgotten with the passage of time. She might even forget the faces of her own parents. Her fist clenched at the thought.

"Well, I suppose you'll be headed back to your village now. Don't worry! We take care of our comrades in Konoha!" This time the blond-haired man was speaking to the jonin from her clan. He still lacked a formal tone, something that stood out starchly in comparison with Michiko's father.

Staring at the people that had brought her here, Michiko felt something rise within her. It was a plea, one that they take her back with them. But they wouldn't. The request would be not only useless, but childish. Her Papa was right; she was very childish. It was selfish to be that way in regards to the clan. The clan was more important than one person, more important than her.

"Lady Michiko, we'll be off now. Take care," it was Ayame who spoke to her.

"Yes, I'll be fine." The words seemed to flow from her lips naturally. It wasn't what she wanted to say, but it was the right thing to say.

The four jonin bowed to her first, then the blond-haired man. "Clan Kihara is indebted to you, Lord Hokage." With that said, they turned and disappeared around a corner.

They were gone and she was left behind. There was no turning back now. No need for tears. But she would cry that evening, when she was alone in her apartment - her new home. Just as he'd told the man she now knew to be the Hokage, that other man had shown her around the village. He'd introduced himself as Shikamaru Nara. Before departing for his own home, he had slipped her a book full of Sudoku puzzles, both numerical and alphabetical.

Rather than sleep that night, she sat at the kitchen table working out puzzle after puzzle. It was fun.


	2. Academy Graduation

**I'm super surprised at the positive response this has received, but also extremely happy. Thank you so much! I'll definitely keep going and do my best to entertain you all.**

* * *

 _Chapter 2_

Her welcoming at the Academy had been lacking in expressions that expressed happiness for her presence. Rather, the students appeared apprehensive and confused. She tried to understand the feelings their expressions reflected, because it certainly was strange for a person from another village to suddenly be in your own. And for you to be expected to be friendly with them from the beginning was too difficult a task for most.

Still, the expressions bothered her.

A week passed with her attending the Academy and returning home after, unable to make any friends when she chose to sit quietly at her seat rather than seek out companions. It was at the end of class that the announcement was made about the upcoming Graduation Ceremony. Students were to participate in order to become Genin of Konoha.

The teacher, Shino Aburame, stopped her before she could exit through the sliding door with the rest of the students. She'd come to appreciate his subtle way of speaking, for it was neither too familiar nor too distant.

"Michiko," he called her name and she turned to face him. "Could you stay for a moment? I need to speak with you."

She silently stood before him until all other students had left, wondering what it could be that he needed to talk about. Perhaps she'd made a mistake on a piece of work. There had been a question she was unsure about on that recent test. Was it really necessary for him to scold her though?

"I think you should participate in the Graduation Ceremony."

Her lower lip moved, prepared to ask 'why'. But her teacher beat her to it.

"Why? Because you are the appropriate age and have the required skills. That is why you will pass."

"Pass? But I haven't been here long and to suddenly become a Genin...won't the others be angry?" she questioned with a heavy sigh. True, she was happy to hear that he thought so highly of her skills, but she was more concerned about how the other students would take the news.

"It is your decision. I have recommended you, but you may decide not to graduate. It would be an unwise decision when there is nothing more the academy can teach you," he stated. This seemed to be the end of their discussion because he turned away to straighten some documents.

With his words in mind, she left the classroom and headed down the hallway. Becoming a Genin was certainly something she wanted and if she could do it now rather than later, there was no reason to wait. But she had not even lived in Konoha a month. She was afraid that the other shinobi of the village would not trust her.

Her footsteps echoed down the hallway, seemingly the only sound she could hear until the sunlight hit her face, scattering down its warmth. Then she heard them, the voices of her classmates. They were excitedly speaking to one another about the upcoming ceremony. Many were eager to become Genin, just the same as her.

She smiled at them in an attempt to express her feelings as well. Again, the confused expressions came. One girl even raised an eyebrow at her, as if it was not natural for an outsider to smile.

"Don't tell me, you're going to be participating in the Graduation Ceremony too?" The question was posed by a boy with a mouth that constantly looked to be frowning.

"Really?"

"But how? You've only been here a week!"

"Yeah! We've been at the Academy for years, haven't we?"

"How can Teacher Aburame allow this?"

"Will they really let an outsider become a Genin?"

"I don't think so. It wouldn't be right."

"Yes, she could be a spy!"

The onslaught of words from her classmates swept away the small bit of confidence she'd held before. Her smile disappeared just as her mouth began to dry out. It was too much pressure. They were all holding her under scrutiny now. None of them believed she had the right to become a Genin of the village. She almost agreed with them.

"I," she spoke loudly, garnering the attention of the other students, "I'm not a spy! I'll become the best Konoha shinobi!" That declared, she waited on a response from them all. Laughter, more vile words, anything but silence.

When a response did not come, she ran, her fingers clenched tightly into her palms. It wasn't fair. She hadn't wanted to come here. Even when she tried to fit in, to be like them, it didn't work. It seemed she wouldn't be able to keep her words after all.

* * *

She found herself seated outside her apartment later that evening. The ceremony was to happen in two days. Teacher Aburame had faith that she could successfully pass and become a Genin. He had also said it would be her choice on whether to take the exam or not. She was having trouble deciding what was best: one, take the exam and become a Genin or two, not take it and continue to waste time at the academy to appease her classmates.

"Hey, Michiko," a voice greeted. She recognized it to be Shikamaru Nara, the same man who'd escorted her through the village.

Glancing up she saw not only the man himself, but what appeared to be a miniature version of him holding a plastic bag. There was a slight difference between the two if one looked more closely. The eyes were not the same and subtle facial differences began to appear. But the similarities stood out more to her than the differences between the two.

"Mr. Nara, hello," she greeted him in turn, standing and performing a short bow. It was the proper way to greet an elder, with respect. Her Mama had always said so.

He nodded his head, walking forward to approach her. The boy by his side tagged along, his eyes skeptcial when he looked at her.

"Who's she?" he asked the man rather than her.

"Michiko Kihara," Mr. Nara answered the boy. "And this is my son, Shikadai Nara." This was told to Michiko.

"Your son," she repeated the words, looking at the boy again. Well, that explained the similar appearances.

"Nice to meet you," the boy said, extending his hand.

She hesitantly placed her own palm against his, letting him go through the movement for them both. This was the first time someone near her own age had been this kind in behavior. "I'm happy to meet you too!"

Retracting her hand from his, she placed it against her lips. Her words, she was sure, had sounded far too excited. He might mistake her for some strange person and never speak to her again.

"Weird."

"Hey, Shikadai, that's not something for you to be saying," his father scolded him lightly, one hand placed against the back of his head.

Silence descended upon the three as father and son stared at one another. Michiko let the word 'weird' sink into her skin. _Weird_. It played on repeat in her mind like a catchy song. The first thing this boy, the only person her age who'd been somewhat friendly to her, thought of her was negative. The voice in her head fought back, telling him that she wasn't weird and going on about how rude he was.

"Say, Michiko, Shino told me that he recommended you to take the Academy Ceremony. Will you?"

The question pulled her back into reality, away from her thoughts. "I don't know," she answered the adult.

"Just get it over with. It's a drag otherwise," Shikadai said, sighing as he placed his hands behind his head. "Say, dad, we should get home before mom comes looking."

"You're right," the father agreed. "Well, see you again, Michiko. Do your best on the exam."

The two then walked off together, their figures becoming harder to see the further away they moved. She watched them go before heading inside. It was getting late and she did need to sleep soon.

"Just get it over with?" she phrased the words as a a question to herself. It was easy for him to say, already being from Konoha. What did he know? He was so rude, going around labeling people and ordering them around.

Her head resting upon the pillow, she fell asleep with such thoughts, berating Shikadai Nara aloud now that he was no longer around. Even in her sleep, one could have heard her mumbling his name and the word 'rude' several times. But she'd also made up her mind before drifting off to sleep. She was going to take the exam. Despite what her classmates thoughts, she was going to become a Konoha Genin.

* * *

Just as Teacher Aburame had predicted, she passed the exam. It was simple enough, with the need only to display ones skills with kunai and creating clones. There were a few questions, but they probably didn't matter as much as one's actual skill, or so she thought.

With her new forehead protector in hand, she sat among her other classmates who'd passed the exam. They were all Genin now and according to Teacher Aburame, would soon be part of a three-man team. Such news made her nervous, as she wasn't at all confident in her ability to get along well with the two other members of her team. She could only hope for the two other members to be less against her than other classmates (such as the ones from two days ago).

"Team 5 will consist of Takeshi Murakami, Hiroshi Sei, and Michiko Kihara." The names listed brought unease to her. Takeshi was the same boy who'd questioned her being able to participate in the Graduation Ceremony. He hadn't wanted her to be a Genin. This was certainly not going to work well.

She glanced towards the boy to find that he was already staring at her, that same constant frown on his expression.

Once he was done reading off the list of teams, Teacher Aburame spoke once more, "You will all wait here until your supervising jonin comes to meet you." Then he left the room. Conversation immediately broke out, with teammates switching seats to sit by one another and ponder over who their supervising Jonin might be.

Though she had thought of being the first one to approach the two other members of her team, Michiko was a step behind. Before she could stand, Takeshi was in front of her, another boy with friendly green eyes and blond hair behind him. At least one of the other members of her team looked nice.

"It seems we'll be a team together," Takeshi was the first to speak. She could only nod in response. "Let's work well together, Michiko, Hiroshi."

"Yeah, it should be fun," Hiroshi spoke up.

"Yes! I look forward to it," Michiko told them both, staring up with a hopeful gaze. Perhaps she'd been too quick to judge? This might work out, if Takeshi was willing to accept her.


	3. Team 5

**I'm surprised at making it to this chapter, to be honest. But it's been such fun writing this story. It really is so much lighter than what I usually write, so far. This is just the beginning. Arc One, I suppose. I look forward to writing more and entertaining you all!**

* * *

 _Chapter 3_

Hiroshi sat between Michiko and Takeshi as the three waited for their jonin supervisor to arrive. A few had already arrived, but there were still quite a few groups waiting in the classroom. The longer the wait, the more time they all had to be curious as to who their supervisor would be.

"I hope we have someone like Teacher Aburame," Hiroshi said, breaking the silence between the three. "He's nice and straight to the point. It's too bad he's an academy instructor."

"But he'd be too nice with us. We need someone that's strict to make us gain more skills."

"Eh, really? I don't think I'd like that."

"That's because you're a slow crybaby."

"How mean, Takeshi. What about you, Michiko-chan? Who do you hope we'll have?"

She'd been content to just listen to the conversation between the two with a small smile on her face, but now both boys were looking at her expectantly. It was hard to think of what to say. If she said that she wanted someone nice, then Takeshi would lump her along with Hiroshi. But if she said the opposite, then Hiroshi would be all alone.

She shrugged. "Anyone's fine. Maybe someone like Mr. Nara?"

"Nara. Shikadai Nara's father?"

"Yeah."

"No way! He's way too laidback!"

"I agree."

Shocked to see the two agreeing with one another, she raised her brows. But, at the same time, this meant that they were both against her idea. It might have been better if she'd just said she wanted someone 'nice'.

"But he seemed fine to me," she muttered to herself, placing her elbows on the table in front of her. It was tiring waiting for the jonin to arrive. She wished that she'd brought along the Sudoku book with her.

From her peripheral vision, she could see Takeshi pulling something out of the green bag he'd thrown down at his feet when he sat. There was a crunching sound, like plastic or paper maybe being grabbed. She couldn't tell which with just sound. Takeshi did not leave her in anticipation long though, because what he pulled up was indeed a plastic bag, one containing daifuku.

It looked delicious. The last time she had such a treat had to have been several years back, when she was still a 'child' in her Papa's eyes. And her Mama had always made such a fuss about sweet things ruining one's appetite.

"What are you doing?"

She looked to Hiroshi, curious as to who was directing the question towards. Surely not her, as she was only thinking. Her eyes showed her an image of Takeshi holding out a hand with two daifuku placed upon it.

"What?" she questioned this action as well.

Averting his gaze from them, Takeshi shoved his palm at them, speaking harshly, "Just take one! My mom made these for me to share with my teammates. I can't eat them all myself."

Exchanging a short glance with Hiroshi, Michiko reached forward and took one of the daifuku. Hiroshi did the same. Both hesitantly bit into the treat, looking towards Takeshi to see if he was watching. But he was looking away, his cheeks tinged with a bit of color.

"Thank you, Takeshi-kun," Michiko offered up a grateful reply to the sharing of food.

The boy just shrugged in response. Seeing this, Hiroshi didn't make the effort to offer thanks.

"Next time, I'll treat you both to dumplings," he announced. "Will this be our team tradition? Feeding each other delicious treats?"

"Treats? We aren't dogs, you idiot!"

"That's not what I meant! What are you treating us to, Michiko?"

"Mm, taiyaki!"

"What a child…"

"I'm not!"

"You really are."

"Enough, you two!" She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and turning away from both boys. It seemed this was also a team tradition for them, having Takeshi and Hiroshi team up against her.

"Oh, are you upset? Sorry, Michiko-chan."

"Such a childish reaction."

"That's true, but Takeshi, I think talking about it only makes her more upset."

"That's obvious."

Her cheeks puffed out, she fumed silently at the two. They happily chattered along with one another about her behavior, egging on her anger. Two against one in a fight truly did not make for a fair fight. In such a situation, just as textbooks said, it was best to retreat.

The door to the classroom slammed open, a woman dressed in a yellow kimono rushing in. She nearly slipped and fell on her face, only stopping herself from doing so by grabbing onto a student's arm. Said student was the one that ended up failing. Looking to the girl, the woman offered a quick, "I'm sorry!"

With her hair unkempt and an apparent rip in her kimono visible, it appeared that she'd been in a fight recently. But she wore a wide smile, showing off her shiny teeth. "Team 5? I'm your new Teacher! Hurry, let's go!" she called out in a sing-song voice.

"They can't be serious…" Takeshi voiced his disbelief, his gaze filled with disappointment as he stared at the woman.

Hiroshi stood, raising his hand in the air. "We're here, Teacher!"

The woman's gaze locked in on the three. "Ah, you three! Come on, we don't have time to waste! Get up, get up!" She made overt gestures with her arms to beckon them towards her.

It worked and Michiko managed to get to her first, what with Hiroshi being right on her heels and pushing at her back. She'd felt that if she didn't move fast, he would have trampled right over her.

Just as the jonin before her, the woman lead them outside of the classroom. Michiko wasn't sure where they were going, but she hoped it wasn't some strange place. The teacher's appearance made her look like she'd been to a strange place.

They left the Academy building, heading towards town. Passing people in the street, Michiko could feel their eyes upon the group every now and then. Of course, they would be curious about three children following a woman in a ripped kimono around.

"Where are we going?" Takeshi asked, the first one to speak up since the classroom.

Looking over her shoulder at the three, the woman smiled again. "And here I thought you had all lost your voices! It was really boring there, having you just follow me silently."

Silence passed once again as they all waited for her answer to the question.

"Lighten up. We're going to my house."

"Your house, Teacher?" Hiroshi was the one to speak up this time. "Why?"

The woman shrugged her shoulders. "Why not?" She giggled lightly. "Well, you'll understand when we arrive. And my name is Nao Uehara, so call me Teacher Nao, please!"

Her tone was so delightful that it was hard to feel insecure about being around her or going to her house when she was still very much a stranger to them all. It made a person feel safe and protected. Because a person with such a voice couldn't hurt you, you'd think.

* * *

They arrived to the small, cramped apartment of their new 'Teacher'. It had taken her quite a bit of time to jiggle the lock open with a bobby pin after she'd discovered that her house key was lost. Michiko presumed it was in the street somewhere, or at a restaurant - wherever Teacher Nao had been in a fight.

Inside, the three sat upon a dark grey couch desperately trying to avoid the intense gaze Nao placed upon them. She seemed to be sizing them up, her ankles crossed, one hand resting underneath her chin.

"You," she broke the silence, pointing to Takeshi. "Start. Introduce yourself. Your name, age, things you like, your dream...make it interesting!"

One could hear an audible sigh from Takeshi before he began. "I'm Takeshi Murakami. 12 years old. I like practicing taijutsu and ninjutsu. As for a dream, I don't really have one."

Though they all waited for him to say more, Takeshi remained silent. Being that he was the one seated next to Takeshi, Hiroshi went when the Teacher nodded her head at him.

"Yes, my name is Hiroshi Sei! I'm also 12 years old. I like video games and fiction books. My dream is to be an Intelligence Ninja and set a good example for my younger brother."

"Why an Intelligence Ninja?"

"My older sister is an Intelligence Ninja. She talks about work sometimes and it seems fun."

"I see." Nao's head bobbed up and down, her lips stuck out in the form of a pout. This didn't really seem to be a dream, but more so following in another's footsteps. "Next!"

Clearing her throat as quietly as she could, Michiko took in a deep breath and began, "My name is Michiko Kihara. I'm originally from Kumogakure and I am 11 years old. I like rainy days and Sudoku. My dream...I'd like to make Konoha my home."

Leaning back into her chair, Nao uncrossed her ankles. "You're all so boring." She stared up at the ceiling, letting out a large breath. "But I'll take you on as students, seeing as you were gullible enough to follow me home."

"Gullible?"

"What? We weren't supposed to follow you?"

"And I resent being called boring, old woman!"

"Takeshi, you can't call Teacher Nao an old lady. Besides, she's still young."

"If she acts like an old hag, she's an old hag!"

"That's worse."

As the three continue to talk among themselves, Nao smiled contently. It had been three years since she'd had students under her command. And this group, just as she'd been told, was sure to be interesting. Perhaps they'd all have fun missions together in the future.

"Alright! Let's play cards! The loser does my laundry for a week," Nao announced, grinning at her students. Those really were nice words to be able to say in one's thoughts. The three faces with varying expressions staring at her belonged to _her students_.


	4. Happy, but Sad?

**And I'm back with the next chapter. Just as Bloody Rice Ball wished, this chapter and the ones after will include more interactions between characters, both from the old and new generation. If I portray any of the characters inacurately, please forgive me. I can only fully know the ones I created myself.**

* * *

 _Chapter 4_

They'd been Genin for nearly two months now and completed 11 D-rank missions, 5 C-rank missions, and 1 B-rank mission (though it had only been ranked so high due to the importance of the person they played bodyguard for). So as not to hear any complaints from the young Genin under her command, Nao was careful to interlace a C-rank mission after two or three D-rank missions. If she didn't do so, they were sure to be disgruntled. Well, she was as a young Genin. She could still remember the feeling of becoming a Genin clearly and then the disappointment with missions that consisted of finding lost pets or rearranging furniture in an old lady's house.

She smiled at her three genin, watching them all eat their meals. Tonight, it was her turn to treat them all. It had been Hiroshi last, Michiko before him, and next time Takeshi would be treating them. Nao intended to suggest a highly expensive restaurant to get back at him for all the times he referred to her as a hag. The little brat had no filter and clearly poor taste in females, as she was still young. No part of her appearance screamed 'old hag', yet the boy persisted with the nickname.

"You're all so lucky! You have a really great teacher," she boasted to them, watching amusedly as the three pre-teens looked up to her. "Such a great teacher, one who takes you on C-rank missions...Ah! We even did a B-rank mission together! That was fun!"

It had truly been fun. She'd snickered while watching their eyes grow wide when the Hokage gave them the mission, knowing that they were setting their hopes far too high. During the journey to the Land of Iron, Takeshi had been quite persistent about his duty as a bodyguard. He wasn't as quick to catch on about how low-risk the mission was as Hiroshi and Michiko. Those two guarded the rear of the group, talking amongst themselves about chakra control and games. It was only on the trip back to Konoha that she felt the anger seeping off Takeshi. He'd yelled at her, as usual, and gone on about how Academy students could have done that mission. She'd took the opportunity to threaten him with the prospect of being sent back to the academy, only to say she was joking once he fell silent.

"You aren't getting out of paying, Teacher," Hiroshi warned her. "We're used to this already."

"Yeah," Takeshi agreed, leaning back on his hands from his seated position, "this sort of trick won't work a second time."

Nao chuckled lightly, unnerved that they'd caught on already to her scheme. "You're wrong! I was just thinking about all the fun we've had. What mission should we take next? Something that doesn't involve animals, so maybe babysitting. That'd be fun! Right, Michiko?" She grinned at the girl just as the two boys groaned at the suggestion.

The girl looked to her teacher, brushing back long locks of hair from her face so as not to obscure her vision. It had already been a subject of discussion among the team, her having such long hair, and how it might be better if she wore it in a ponytail or cut it a bit shorter to keep it out of the way. She'd refused, claiming that it was a clan tradition. That had been a lie. The truth was simply that she liked her hair long, because it was like her Mama's hair.

"Yes! Babies are so cute and little, and I love holding them! Let's do it, Teacher Nao!"

"Alright, we will!"

The two males stared at the smiling females with horror in their expressions. "No," they both shouted at the same time.

But it was too late for objections. Nao had already decided that if such a mission came up, she'd ask the Hokage for it to be given to her team. She'd decided this before suggesting it or trying to have one of the kids pay for the meal instead of her. It was important for the three Genin to have time in which they took care of a fellow member of the village. Being a shinobi wasn't just about fighting or learning new jutsus. She hoped that they'd understand in the future, why exactly it was she took so many missions that had them remain inside the village.

It was important for a shinobi to first protect their comrades before defeating the enemy. Though enemies were not a pressing concern as of late.

* * *

The weekend for Michiko was usually spent on a mission or training with her Teacher. However, this weekend Teacher Nao had been sent on a B-rank mission by herself. It was a mission that didn't allow her to bring young Genin along. One day, if she trained well enough, that would be her. She'd be a teacher to genin and be sent out on missions for the sake of the village. It currently seemed like those days would never arrive with time moving so slowly.

She was walking through the village to pass the time, rather than stay stuck inside her home. Loud sniffles from a nearby food stand garnered her attention. There stood a little girl with black and green eyes, huge tear droplets rolling down her cheeks. The vendor was staring down at her in exasperation. Michiko's feet instinctively took her to the young girl.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

The girl stopped her crying to look at Michiko, blinking her eyelids a few times to clear away tears from her vision. "Who are you?"

"Ah, my name is Michiko Kihara. It's okay. I'm not here to yell at you."

Blinking some more, the little girl wiped at her face with the sleeve of her shirt. "Michiko-neesan, thank you!" She burst out with tears once again, slinging her arms around Michiko's legs. It nearly knocked the older girl onto the ground, but she managed to hold her balance.

"What for?"

"You're kind! You came to save me from that mean old man," she said, pointing towards the vendor with an accusing finger.

The man narrowed his gaze, his arms folding atop each other across his chest. He didn't look very pleased to have a young girl label him as being 'mean'. Or perhaps it was the word 'old'. Her Teacher certainly didn't like that word. Either way, he was upset and when an adult was upset, she knew it was best to make a quick exit from the scene.

It was possible that her plan wouldn't succeed, but all the same, she would try it.

"I'm sorry for any trouble my sister caused, mister! Please forgive her!" the brunette bowed her head forward, grabbing hold of the little girl's hand as she did. If the girl stayed silent, this would work. Not that Michiko intended on giving her time to make any corrections to her statements. "We'll be going home now and I'll be sure to have her reflect upon this. Thank you for your understanding."

With that said, she took hasty steps away from the vendor, holding tightly to the little girl's hand. It was surprising that she still hadn't spoken up, but there was still the possibility of it lingering. They needed to get further away to prevent that, otherwise there would be more trouble to deal with. The vendor would demand to speak to the girl's parents and she'd cry more. Then Michiko herself would be caught watching the entire situation, unable to let herself leave.

"Nee-san, why did you say I was your sister?" The child asked. "That's a lie."

Noticing that they were no longer in sight of the vendor or any of those that were near him when the girl was crying, Michiko breathed a sigh of relief. "Because it would have been worse if your parents had to come for you."

The little girl shook her head. "No, you're wrong." Her small hand slipped from Michiko's, moving to her side to hang loosely. "My parents are dead. He'd have to call my grandfather."

No parents. Michiko felt sympathy for the child, but also a stinging feeling in her chest. It was painful. Was it because she could relate now, being away from her parents? They weren't dead, but she couldn't be with them anymore. It was more like she was the dead one.

"So it wasn't the first you'd been in that situation..."

"No. Still, thank you!"

"It's no trouble. But you shouldn't go around that man anymore if he makes you cry."

The girl laughed. "Right?" She looked down to her feet, poking the tips of her pointer fingers together. "If you have nothing else to do, could you come play with me at the park?"

The eyes staring up at her were so full of hope and fear that Michiko knew she could not say no. She smiled, nodded her head, and responded, "Yes! But...what's your name?"

"Kanna Nagai! Can we hurry? The swings might be full!"

"Yes, let's go quickly, Kanna-chan."

Since she did not know the way to the park, Michiko allowed herself to be guided by Kanna. Along the way, the little girl continued to look back at her and smile - sometimes giggle. She'd smile back at her, happy simply because Kanna was. It was the first time she'd made someone else happy by agreeing to something so simple.

It didn't take them long to arrive, but when they did, Kanna was taking in short breaths. Apparently she didn't know her own stamina yet or how to pace herself. Maybe she was just being a young child, eager to arrive somewhere. Michiko could remember being like that as well and her Mama always accomodating with her long strides.

The park was not as full as Kanna had been concerned it would be. There were only a few children playing and some mothers seated together on benches. It was a very familiar sight for the young Genin, despite being in a completely different village now. After all, wherever one went, mothers and children were still the same.

"Nee-san, will you push me on the swing?" Kanna asked, nearly bouncing up and down from excitement.

"Sure."

Michiko was then dragged to the swingset, the little girl with black hair and blue already seated upon a swing gasping at the sudden presence of two new people beside her. She peered at them and her eyes became clearer, the blue almost seeming like a light purple. It was certainly a unique eye color.

With Kanna sitting in the swing, Michiko started pushing it lightly, until the girl requested to go higher. The higher she went, the more the older girl worrried that Kanna might fall and get hurt. But she didn't seem like a weak girl.

"That looks fun," she heard the little girl in the other swing say. Her gaze was fixated upon Kanna, who swung happily back and forth, her legs nearly reaching above the bars when she went forward.

"Would you like me to push you too?" Michiko asked her.

It certainly must have been no fun to be the one on the sideline watching.

"Yeah!" the girl answered.

And so Michiko began to push the other girl, eventually switching back and forth between the two as they made it a competition to see who could manage to reach an arm above the bar. It was fun for a while, pushing the two and imagining that this would be what it was like for one to have younger sisters. But then it was tiring and Michiko had to take a break.

She sat on the ground, watching as both girls began to become lower to the ground once more. Neither had managed to reach an arm above the bar. It seemed Kanna was simply too short and the other girl too fearful, because she would reach out and quickly grab hold of the swing again each time she tried.

Done with the swings, the two ran off towards some climbing bars. It wasn't long before Michiko heard her name being called. She managed to learn the name of the other girl - Himawari Uzumaki. The shock that she was the Hokage's daughter sunk in slowly.

* * *

It felt like they'd been playing all day long and Michiko was completely drained of her energy. She was starting to question her own amount of stamina. Teacher Nao might have a few tips on how to build up a greater stamina so that she didn't tire so easily. It wouldn't be good to be unable to complete a mission for lack of endurance. But then, this 'playing' felt more tiresome than going on a mission.

Children seemed to have an abundance of energy. She intended to remind Teacher Nao of this and state her opinion that it might not be best that Team 5 play babysitters for some random family. The idea had seemed fun, until today.

"Thank you for playing with Himawari." The violet-eyed woman said, bowing her head slightly and smiling. Her daughter did resemble her.

Michiko shook her head, as if to shrug off the 'thank you'. "No, it was fun. I was upset about not having anything to do today and then I met Kanna-chan. We came here and met Himawari-chan," she explained, looking at both girls.

They were standing side by side and it made the older girl believe that a new friendship had blossomed. Wouldn't it be wonderful if they remained friends even when they were adults? Though thinking of them being adults seemed silly, as she herself wasn't even one yet.

"I'm glad!" The woman expressed relief. It seemed she'd expected Michiko to be upset about having to play with her daughter. Looking to Kanna, she spoke to the girl, "Kanna-chan, we'll walk you home. Is that fine?"

"Yes!"

This was a nice moment, one of calm and peace. Still, watching the older woman interact with the two children, Michiko felt lonely. "Well, I should go home too. See you!" She told them all, hurrying off with a smile on her face. The smile certainly didn't express the mix of emotions she felt inside.

It truly had been a fun day. So why did she still feel unhappy, as if uncomplete? The entire journey back to her apartment, she attempted to shake the feeling, but it wouldn't go away.


	5. Land of Birds

**And she's back with another chapter! I originally had something completely different planned for this chapter, but when I started typing this is what came out. I hope you enjoy and thank you for the reviews so far!**

* * *

 _Chapter 5_

Even though Nao had told her three genin they'd be taking a babysitting request next, she was unable to keep those words. It wasn't as if she'd done it intentionally. She just found the request of a reconnaissance mission in the Land of Birds too thrilling to pass up. It was much better than playing bodyguard or escort, and safe for the children she was in charge of.

Much to her surprise, none of them had made mention of her previous promise about the babysitting mission when she delivered the news about going to the Land of Birds. Not even Michiko, who'd seemed eager about it before. She was curious if something had happened to the girl in the time she'd been away, but decided to save her questions for the return trip home.

"Remember, keep yourselves hidden," she spoke to the three genin.

Each nodded their heads, already feeling too nervous to speak. They were nervous not because of the mission itself or danger, but for the fear that they'd mess up. It was, after all, of prime importance that they stayed completely still and silent for a length of time that none were yet used to.

"Spread out!"

The command given, each darted off into their pre-assigned position. Hiroshi sat upon a sturdy tree branch, facing away from the nearby road. He was still able to peer over his shoulder, his head peeking out a bit from the edge of the tree, to see a small gap of the road. And his ears worked perfectly well. If all went well, his line of sight and hearing would not be necessary. He was just serving as the one in the backup position.

Michiko laid upon the ground, her body surrounded by lush greenery. She was on the opposite side of the road from Hiroshi, along with Takeshi, who was above her on a tree branch. This tree, they'd found, was able to hide him from the sight of any who may pass by on the road, giving almost perfect cover. He'd also be able to quickly intercept any attack if Michiko was discovered from her position on the ground.

As for the jonin leader, she had donned a black gown and was waiting around a bend to pass by the road when the target arrived. Down the road a bit was a spot where she'd be able to abandon the sacks she carried with her for show and backtrack to Takeshi and Michiko's location. She'd decided that it would have seemed too strange, perhaps, for those that would be passing through, if no one else was using the road.

It would also serve as a good distraction, to allow the target to loosen up. Their contact, the person meeting with the target, was an elderly woman. Having retired from her years of being a kunoichi, she now helped out from time to time on simple missions as an interloper. Nao wasn't sure which Hidden Village she came from. The information had been classified. That hadn't exactly set well with her, even less so when the Hokage requested that she keep a close eye on the woman's actions.

She only hoped that whatever suspicions the Hokage had about the older woman were proved untrue with this mission. If not, it was certain this would turn into a dangerous mission for her team. And she wasn't too certain that they could handle it. While all were growing in their skills, they'd yet to participate in actual combat. What was done at the academy was always monitored, never mixed in with the threat of death.

A chill came over her body at the thought of losing one of the three children. It was true that to be a ninja meant to put one's life on the line, but they were still only children. They had much to see, much more to do before - no, she would just make sure they were safe at all costs. It was wrong to get worked up. Taking in a deep breath, she slapped a palm against her cheek, and recalled that the last time she'd been this nervous was on her first mission as a chunin leader.

The distinct sound of wheels grating against sand and rocks on the road shocked Nao from her thoughts. She straightened her back, tucking one sack beneath her arm and holding the other with her left hand. The mission had begun.

Hiroshi peered over his shoulder, trying to catch a view of the approaching cart. It proved difficult, seeing as he nearly slipped off the branch. Deciding that he would prefer not to be blamed for messing up the mission, he pressed himself to the large trunk of the tree once more, willing himself to wait until a signal was given.

From her position, Michiko watched with wide eyes as an elderly woman made her way towards three cloaked people pulling a cart. What was in the cart? She was curious, but it was impossible to see from the ground.

The cart stopped moving and so did the elderly woman. With sharp eyes, she stared at the cloaked strangers, before speaking, "Were you followed?"

"No," spoke up the largest of the cloaked strangers. "What about you?"

"Of course not." There was a pause in conversation then as both parties continued to stare at one another.

"I trust the contents of the cart are to _her_ standards. It has taken you this long to collect."

" _She_ will be pleased with these specimens, have no doubt of that, granny."

"Hmph!" The elderly woman smirked and then made her way over to the cart to look inside at the 'specimens'.

With the cover pulled back, Takeshi could clearly see the pale face of a child. He gasped, placing a hand over his mouth when the old woman placed the cover back to turn around and stare in his direction.

This was bad. Looking down, he saw Michiko and knew that she was in more immediate danger than him. Where was their Teacher? She still hadn't passed by.

"You were too careless," the elderly woman commented to the cloaked strangers.

"What?" asked a feminine voice. "But the specimens were carefully selected. They should-"

"You've been followed."

It took but a few seconds for the words to dawn upon the group. Tossing off their cloaks, they dawned defensive stances, looking to their sides in search of an enemy.

"Teacher, where are you?" muttered Hiroshi, clearly hearing the conversation from his position, though he could not see what was happening. He didn't really need to. It was clear that they'd somehow been found out by the enemy.

The old lady too, took out a kunai, holding it between her forefinger and thumb. "Come out now. Let's finish this quickly," she commanded. With a swift movement of her hand, she sent the kunai flying towards Takeshi, who in turn leapt out of the tree to avoid a direct impact.

"How?" he stared at where he'd been standing to the old lady while still mid-air.

Four sets of eyes landed upon the young genin. He gulped, taking a step back. They all looked strong and even though he usually acted confident, Takeshi knew he couldn't take them on and survive. He was scared.

"My, my, it's just a little puppy," commented the large man.

"That headband...he's from Konoha. Hey, kid, you must still be a Genin, right?" asked the young female with dark hair. With no response given from Takeshi, she simply laughed. "It's cute, them sending such a frightened kid to watch us."

Takeshi clenched his fists, the pads of his fingertips meeting with his sweaty palms. A scared kid, that's what he was and how he looked in that moment. Not like a ninja. Because ninjas were meant to be strong. Why couldn't he stop the trembling of his legs and defend himself?

"Granny, should we add another specimen with this one?" asked the large man, chortling loudly.

The old lady's eyes appraised Takeshi, as if he were livestock. Or perhaps one of the Nara's deer. "No need. Just kill the little nuisance while I deal with the other rats."

Both Hiroshi and Michiko's eyes widened at the last words from the old woman's mouth. Other rats? She was referring to them, but how? Neither had moved from their spot. They'd both done their utmost to keep themselves hidden.

"I understand. Let's make this quick," the female said, giggling as she stepped closer to Takeshi.

Again, Takeshi took steps backwards, unable to bring himself to put up a defense. The grins upon the faces of these foreign ninja grew wider the more he backed away.

The woman lunged towards him, then stopped. Stopped, because Michiko was standing in front of him, kunai in her hand. She brandished it towards the woman, her stance a familiar one - it was, after all, the standard one taught at the academy.

"I won't...let you kill my teammate!" she shouted, even though her own knees felt wobbly.

It was then that a shuriken zoomed in front of Michiko, grazing the nose of the woman who'd been too slow to move back before it landed into a tree. Looking to the side, Takeshi spotted Hiroshi exiting his hiding spot. Even when he hadn't been able to do anything, both Hiroshi and Michiko had. It was so frustrating.

"I'll take that one," the large man said, referring to Hiroshi.

The woman wasn't laughing anymore. Rather, she appeared quite upset while wiping at the blood leaking from her nose. "You little brat!" she screeched up at Hiroshi.

"Ami, I've already said that one's mine," the large man pointed out when she turned as if to move towards the tree branch Hiroshi still stood upon. He was glaring down at them all, seemingly unafraid compared to his two teammates.

"Fine. Then I'll get rid of the girl."

Kunai in hand, the woman aimed for Michiko, but she moved to the left, pushing Takeshi right in the same moment. If she hadn't, he would have been run through. But because she'd had to concern herself with putting her body weight into pushing him, she didn't land very far left or on her feet. The rocks scratched at her palms, though that was the least of her worries right now. Quickly standing, she jumped backwards, flipping mid-air, to avoid another strike from the woman.

"Stop moving! Stay still so I can kill you!"

The woman was underestimating the genin, though it was to be expected. Michiko certainly didn't feel confident enough to beat any of these people, but she had to defend herself. Assured that she'd held eye contact with the woman for more than ten seconds, she made fast hand signals and shouted, "Kakō Mukudori no Jutsu!" A white cloud materialized above the woman, drawing her gaze. It was exactly what this jutsu was created to do; to shift an opponent's focus.

A white starling shot out from the cloud, screeching loudly as it barrelled down towards the woman. She shifted her stance to protect her upper body from the bird. However, that was unnecessary. It could not harm her, as it was only a diversionary tactic.

The silent man seemed to have figured this out and moved to intercept Michiko strike to his ally. He was unable to achieve his goal as Nao landed a swift, hard kick to his head. Falling into the ground, the woman again shifted her gaze to her fallen ally, before finally looking at the little girl charging towards her with a kunai.

It was too late for her to move. The kunai nestled into her abdomen, blood trickling out around the blade. She stared down, grasping the handle to pull it out. Her gaze took a menacing turn as she stared down at the young kunoichi. "You…"

"Michiko, move!" Nao shouted, her gaze falling upon the hand signals of the woman.

Already in the middle of a swift punch to the woman's face, Michiko had no time to stop herself and retreat. But she'd put enough force behind her hit that the woman was forced to turn her head to the side. Still, that didn't deter her. She finished the hand signals, lightning sprouted from the ground and Michiko found herself being thrown backwards.

Pain coursed through her entire body, but it centered itself in her chest. She coughed a few times, blood eeking out of the corners of her lips. It wasn't a jutsu she recognized or knew. Was it advanced or forbidden? She should have been more careful. Such a low level jutsu like the one she'd used wouldn't work on someone more skilled as a mere diversion. Even while in pain, she berated herself.

Again, the woman pressed toward Michiko. Nao moved to intervene, only to be stopped by Hiroshi's shout and the old woman. Seeing the desperate situation they were all in, Takeshi managed to find his courage and tackled the woman from behind. He bit her arm, refusing to let go even when she hit his head.

This was all that Michiko could recall from the mission before she passed out.

* * *

They returned to Konoha ragged and wounded. Takeshi was nursing a large bump on the head, Hiroshi several cuts on his arms and legs, and Michiko still hadn't woken up from the jutsu that'd been used on her. Nao had managed to take out the old lady and woman while Hiroshi held off the large man until she could get to him.

The mission could be called a success, as they obtained the information they needed and recovered corpses to be investigated. But for Nao, it was a failure. Not only had they been discovered, all of her students were injured.

She sat in the waiting room of the hospital, her right leg crossed atop her left. A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she massaged her temples. Yes, she'd suspected this mission would contain some possible danger and knew that her students weren't prepared. But this...she didn't want this to happen. And yet, it felt like she'd caused it with her thoughts.

"Miss Uehara?" a hesitant voice called out to her.

She looked up into the eyes of a nurse. "Is she okay?"

"I don't know the details, but she'll recover. I've been told you can visit her room."

Nodding her head shortly, Nao stood and followed the nurse down hallways and up stairways until they reached the room Michiko had been placed in. The nurse opened the door, gave Nao a small smile, then walked in. Nao entered shortly after her, her eyes immediately landing upon the small figure on the hospital bed.

"Michiko," she muttered the girl's name. Placing a hand to the girl's forehead, she softly caressed the skin beneath her fingertips. "When will she wake?"

"She's been in and out since the procedure ended. I'm sure she'll be fully awake tomorrow," the nurse replied in a voice that sounded overly chipper to Nao.

Sensing the tense air, the nurse made quick work of checking the girls vital scenes before scurrying out of the room. Left alone, Nao drug a chair beside the bed, seating herself upon it. She still owed the Hokage a report on the mission. There was also the matter of both Takeshi and Hiroshi's moms wanting to speak with her. But that all could wait. Right now, she just wanted to sit beside her student, to wait until the girl woke. Then she would leave, go back to being a proper jonin leader and all that.

* * *

 **Author's End Note: I know it's been a while, but I had so much real life stuff to deal with. And I never really did plan on a periodic release date for the chapters. Should I? Let me know if I need to set stricter guidelines for myself to please my readers.**

 **I really appreciate everyone who has read and supported this story so far. Thank you so much! And do not forget to let me know what you think in a review!**


	6. Celebration and Failure

**I haven't mentioned a disclaimer in a while, so I'll do it again just to be safe. Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or receive any profit from the writing below. It is merely for the enjoyment of others and from the creative thought process in my mind.**

* * *

 _Chapter 6_

The detailed report of the mission she'd taken her team on in hand, Nao took in a deep breath before pushing open the door to enter the Hokage's office. When three sets of eyes turned to stare at her in surprise, she at first found it strange. Why were they all staring at her? It was just a few moments later that her mistake dawned upon her.

Bowing profusely, she continuously muttered, "Sorry, Hokage-sama!"

"So careless, walking into the Hokage's office without knocking," one of the men commented, sighing to himself.

"I know," Nao muttered, her cheeks reddened due to shame. "I'm sorry, Nara-san. I wasn't thinking and my mind was elsewhere, that's why!"

"It's fine, Nao," the Hokage interrupted her apology with a bright smile.

The other man in the room, half his face covered by dark hair, locked his gaze upon the report held within her arms. "Did you write it all clearly?" he asked.

"Eh?" Nao stared at him, confused as to why he was asking after the report. "Well, yeah, to the best of my memory. I also have the statements of my students, Takeshi Murakami and Hiroshi Sei. Michiko Kihara is still recovering, so I haven't received her personal statement of events yet."

Shikamaru held out a hand and Nao placed the report into it willingly, glad to be rid of the paperwork. It was, most certainly, her least favorite thing about being a shinobi. Paperwork belonged to those that sat inside all day long, not talented (and somewhat lazy) ninja like herself.

"The older kunoichi you encountered, were you able to ascertain her identity?" Again, it was the dark-haired man, Sasuke Uchiha, asking her questions. She knew that he worked for the village and was a close friend of the Hokage, but could still remember when he'd been the enemy. Or at least one of them. Her father insisted to this day that the Uchiha man could not be trusted.

Staring from the Hokage to him, she nodded once. "Yes. There's no doubt. She is Reika Saito, a former Iwagakure kunoichi."

"All the more troublesome," Shikamaru muttered, his eyes scanning the report with ease.

"And what about the three rogue ninja she met with?" the Hokage asked, leaning forward in his seat.

"I didn't recognize them from the Bingo Book. The large one seemed familiar, but I can't place his face. But the man we brought back is being investigated, so we should learn his identity soon. And the woman…" Here she trailed off, thinking back on how when the jutsu of that woman had been used on Michiko. She'd recognized it. "She used a forbidden jutsu from Kusagakure. Her hair was dark in color, but I don't believe it was natural. It might be that she changed her appearance or is using a genjutsu. Unfortunately, I didn't have the chance to ascertain this theory."

"That forbidden jutsu is the one that caused your student to be hospitalized?"

Again, she offered up one short nod. "I've only seen it used once before, by a missing-nin when I was still a chunin. It seems to travel under the earth, rising up to attack much like lightning. When in the body, it's almost like being bitten by a snake. But more deadly. The user can target a specific organ for the venom to attack."

Nao was certain there was more to the jutsu that she did not know, but after having seen it used twice now, this was what she understood of it. It also helped that those at the hospital had told her exactly what happened to Michiko. Her heart had been the organ that woman centered. Even thinking of it now made her blood boil. To target such a vital organ was only done with the intent of killing!

"Snake venom?"

"Not really. Though Kusagakure nin have been known to coat their weapons in snake venom or use it as a poison in battle, this type of venom is different. It works slowly in the system and was originally used for torture. But it was deemed to be too inhumane a method of killing an individual, due to the high amount of pain and long time period before the person will die."

The Hokage nodded at the explanation, tapping his forefinger against his chin. "A rogue nin from Kusagakure with a forbidden jutsu...we should contact their representative immediately."

"Yeah, I'll see to that," the Nara commented after laying the report on the Hokage's desk. Perhaps noticing the unsettled expression on Nao's face as he went to leave the room, he spoke to her shortly, "Well, it seems the girl will be fine."

He meant it to act as a statement that would calm the woman, not cause her expression to change into one of melancholy. "Yeah, she'll be fine." Still, as the jonin leader of the group, she hadn't been able to prevent her students from being injured. It seemed that she might very well end up having to pass her students off to another teacher, just like before.

"Don't worry about it too much." That said, he left the room.

Nao stood still, unsure if she should also leave or continue to awkwardly look between the Hokage and Uchiha with her miserable expression. "If that's all-"

"Uehara, I'm ordering you to take a five day vacation. As you are now, I can't possibly let you go on more missions. Come back when you've cleared your head."

Startled by the direct order from the Hokage, Nao opened her mouth to protest, but closed it without saying anything. He was probably right. No, he was right. She needed a break, to clear her head and think about what had happened. "I understand. Then, I'll take my leave now," she bowed and proceed to exit the office.

With only his close friend left in the office, the Hokage let out a large sigh. Though they were technically in a highly peaceful time, it still felt like there was so much danger lurking around each corner. Though still hopeful, he now was not sure if the world would ever be able to be fully cleansed of hate. No, it wouldn't. But vengeance and the intent to harm others - that was something one could still hope for.

"Naruto, I'll investigate this personally. Don't let others see you look you so glum," Sasuke told him, a smirk on his lips.

"Who's glum? That's your look, you bastard," Naruto jokingly responded with a grin.

* * *

For two days Michiko had lain in the hospital bed, falling in and out of sleep too many times to count. Night and day blurred together for her, and she was unsure whether she'd envisioned those faces she'd seen when awake or not. It was on the third day of her stay in Konoha Hospital that her body seemed to have fully recovered.

She stared up at the white ceiling above her bed, squinting her eyes because the fluorescent lights bothered them. There was a vase of flowers next to her bed, she noted, and a chair. Had someone been here recently? It was a question she would pose to whichever nurse was taking care of her.

Sighing due to a feeling of boredom, for simply staring at the ceiling was not entertaining, she slowly pushed herself up into a seated position. Pain shot through her chest and she lurched forward. Her right hand shot reached to grab at her chest, as if it might be able to extract the pain that way. Gritting her teeth, Michiko waited until it subsided, becoming nothing but a dull ache after a minute.

The sound of approaching footsteps brought alarm to her and she dropped her hand, turning her head to stare at the door to the room. It soon slid open, but instead of revealing a nurse or anyone else she might have thought would come to see her, one small girl bound into the room. She recognized her as Himawari, one of the two girls that her made her reconsiders thinking of babysitting as a fun mission.

Himawari launched herself towards the bed, but stopped just short of springing onto it when a reprimanding voice called out to her, "No! Michiko-chan is still recovering from her injury. You can't jump on her."

It was a pink-haired woman who'd spoken to the girl. The little one offered a mumbled 'yes', her head drooping in defeat. Himawari's mother stepped into the doorway beside the pink-haired lady, walking forward towards her daughter. She had a calming smile upon her face.

"Hello, Michiko-chan. I'm so glad to see you sitting up. Himawari was very worried when we last visited and you were asleep. It was really difficult to make her leave."

"Mom!" There was an indignant cry.

The mother giggled lightly. "But, it's true."

Glancing between mother and daughter, Michiko could only smile. They had a nice relationship, one she missed with her own Mama. "Thank you for worrying about me...and visiting!"

"No, thank you for getting well."

A faint flush lit Michiko's cheeks when the older lady offered up such words. They were the words from a person who truly was concerned with another person's well-being. It had been a long time since she'd heard someone such words to her. Too long. Averting her gaze to look shyly at her hands, she missed the odd entrance of three more visitors, but she did hear the conversation as they were coming up the hallway.

"You idiot, if you'd done as I said-"

"We would have failed the mission. Your plan was inefficient."

"How can you know that before you try it?"

"Logic, something you lack."

"Why, you!"

"Shut up, both of you! And move!"

There was the sound of body's tumbling against the floor, curses being muttered, and the sighs of the two older women in the room. Michiko was now staring at the three intruders, taking in the situation as best she could.

"Big brother, you came!" Himawari shouted, rushing to a spiky-haired blond boy. Her small arms wrapped around his waist, and he in turn patted her head softly.

"Hello, Himawari-chan," a white-haired boy greeted the little girl with an eerie smile. It seemed far too unnatural, as if he were merely mimicking others.

The little girl turned, staring up at the boy with big eyes. "Mizuki-niisan!" Without missing a beat, she then looked to the last member of the trio, a girl with dark hair who wore glasses. "Sarada-neechan!"

Neither were subjected to a hug, though both acknowledged the girl with a smile. The older women watched the scene with serene expressions. Michiko sat on the bed with questions swirling in her head. Who were these people and why were they here? What had happened while she was asleep?

Noticing the confused expression on Michiko's face, the pink-haired lady looked to her and laughed lightly. "It's okay. You don't have to look so worried, Michiko-san. But, I suppose anyone would be shocked to see strangers and not be introduced," she offered a subtle hint towards Himawari.

Nodding her head, Himawari ran back to Michiko's bedside, taking hold of her hand. "Um, Michiko-neechan, I'm sorry. That one is Mizuki, that's Sarada Uchiha, and he's my big brother, Boruto Uzumaki!" She pointed out each one while saying their names, allowing Michiko to match the faces to the names. In her mind, she shortly thought of how different in appearance Himawari's brother was from her.

"They came to celebrate with us!"

Tilting her head to the side in contemplation over what Himawari meant by celebrate, she decided to voice her thoughts rather than remain in the dark. "Celebrate? What for?"

The reply was instant. "Your birthday!"

There was a brief moment of silence as Michiko let this sink in. "My...birthday?"

"Eh? Don't tell me you forgot your own birthday, Michiko-nee!"

She had. The time had slipped by and though she had briefly thought about before going on the last mission, it hadn't seemed significant. It would be just another day, as usual. Though other children celebrated their birthdays, she couldn't remember having even once been wished a 'happy birthday' by her parents. Her Papa had said that birthdays were not special among their clan when she questioned why hers was not celebrated like other children in the village.

"It seems I did," she replied, smiling lightly. "But, there's no need to celebrate. Birthdays aren't really special. That's what my Papa told me. I've never celebrated one before, so I wouldn't know how to act." The explanation sounded okay in her mind. Said aloud, something about it seemed sad.

Himawari stared up at her, those beautiful violets tearing up at the edges. "You've never had a birthday party? Not even once? That's horrible!"

"Himawari," her mother chastised her for the outcry.

"It's fine."

"It must be a custom of your clan," the pink-haired lady offered her input, seemingly to break the awkward tension in the room.

Michiko shrugged her shoulders hesitantly. "I think so. But Mama always celebrated my eldest brother's birthday with a feast. He's going to be clan head, so I think that's why…" she trailed off, at a loss for how to explain why one child's birthday was celebrated and others weren't. "Ah! But on my birthdays, after Mama and Papa went to bed, Kazuo-nii would share dorayaki with me." The memory brought a bright smile to her face. It had been their little secret, sharing the sweet after their parents went to bed. Mama had always been against giving them sweet foods.

The frowns that crossed the faces of the two grown women in the room went unnoticed by the brunette. Similarly, the shared look between the trio that she'd been introduced was unseen. Instead, she was looking down into Himawari's curious face.

"You have brothers?"

"Yep! Ryouichi-nii is the eldest, and then Kazuo-nii. Like me, Kazuo-nii is a ninja in another hidden village. And he's already a chunin!"

"Wow, that's great! Which village is he in?"

"Sunagakure."

"That isn't too far. You could go visit him if Daddy says it's okay! Right, mommy?"

The woman inclined her head forward in agreement.

"I can't. It's forbidden by the clan." It was only after she'd said it that Michiko noticed her tone of voice had been less cheerful than before. A frown adorned her lips, a sense of gloom settling within her. Papa had been very clear when he told her it was forbidden for her to meet with Kazuo. It could be seen as the two joining together in a plot to remove their older brother from his seat as the heir.

A neatly wrapped box was placed within her line of sight, the hand attached to it being too large to belong to Himawari. She observed the flower-patterned wrapping for a moment, then looked to the person holding the gift. It was the girl with glasses, Sarada. From the way she shifted uncomfortably and shifted her gaze from Michiko, the other girl appeared highly uncomfortable.

"Happy Birthday, Michiko-san."

Michiko's eyes widened. Those words, her Mama had said them to her brothers before. Not just Ryouichi, but Kazuo too. She could remember it clearly, the sweet well-wishing embedded within her memories. But, it was the first time she was hearing them directed at herself.

"T-thank you," she somehow managed to get the words out, despite the overwhelming feelings building up inside her chest. Was this a normal reaction to these words? She wanted to cry, but she was happy, not sad. You didn't cry when you were happy.

"Happy Birthday, Michiko-neesan!" Himawari shouted, ignoring the pink-haired lady's orders and wrapping her arms around the older girl's neck.

Four more wishes of a 'happy birthday' followed, all much quieter than Himawari's outburst. She gave each person in the room a smile, wiping vigorously at her eyes to keep her tears at bay. None of them seemed to mind this.

They ended up eating a cake that had fruit topping while Boruto recounted the most recent events of their team's latest mission. Mizuki added subtle comments now and then, which would cause the blond to glare at the other boy. Sarada, in turn, would glare at both.

It was fun, her first celebrated birthday. She was surrounded by new acquaintances, had cake, and even received a few presents. The mood had grown warm and Michiko was happily conversing with Sarada about the differences between Kumogakure and Konoha's academy when a nurse came to politely inform the pink-haired lady - or Sarada's mom, as Sarada had told her - that she was needed somewhere else.

Boruto and Mizuki left next, mentioning something about extra training. Himawari yawned and her mother took that as a sign that it was time for them to go home as well. Sarada ended up staying until the sky began to change color. She'd made sure to explain in detail her gift of a beginner's trap set and how best Michiko could put it to use.

"See you later," she gave a short wave before disappearing through the door.

Michiko sighed, laying back down in the bed to again stare up at the blank, white ceiling. She reached up towards it with a hand, though it would have silly to think she could actually touch the ceiling.

"Mama, Papa. I had a nice birthday. You thought of me today, right?"

* * *

The sound of glass shattering alerted those nearby the room in the compound. They stared, each wearing an expression of apprehension. None wished to trade places with the two women currently inside the room. It was clear when they'd arrived, absent of the delivery and missing two from their team that something had gone wrong. _She_ was sure to not take the news pleasantly. One man held tightly to the hand of his son when the boy shuddered, screams pulsating out towards them. Soon, the area was cleared, no one wishing to stay and listen to the sounds of torture.

Inside, an old woman was cornered against one of the four walls, a kunai held forcefully against her throat. Her attacker, a younger woman with brilliant violet eyes and raven hair, locked their gazes. Blood was seeping onto the blade from the old woman's neck, but the raven-haired lady was not bothered.

"Reika-san," she spoke the woman's name viciously, "do you know how far back this will set us?"

"I offer my sincerest apologies, Fuko-sama, but this was not my fault," the weak voice insisted, eyes darting towards the other person in the room.

Indigo hair, cut short and ungroomed, swung dangerously in the direction of Reika. Green eyes alight with fury glared at the old woman. "Huh? Granny, you wanna blame this on me?"

"You could not defend yourselves against a group of genin!"

"Hey! I'm here, right? Then I defended myself! And what about you?"

"It is your partners that were captured, though you said the area would be secure."

"It was! Fuko-sama, we scouted that area for a week before arranging the meeting. The genin were...unexpected. And don't forget the jonin that was with them!"

The raven-haired woman, Fuko, removed her kunai from Reika's throat, stepping away. Arguing between her subordinates, who'd botched up their job, was wearing on her nerves. She had the distinct urge to kill them both. Surely, the other two felt her killing intent, for they went numb with silence.

"You failed, both of you. There must be an account for this failure. Don't you agree?" She turned back to stare at the two, a malicious grin on her face. "So which one of you will I kill?"

"Fuko-sama, please forgive my faults!" the older woman was the first to grovel and beg for her life to be spared.

The woman with indigo-colored hair followed shortly, throwing in comments about how she'd be more useful for her youth when compared to the old woman.

Fuko watched the despicable scene, one hand reaching to clutch her stomach as she burst into laughter. It was hilarious, watching pathetic insects such as these two plead for their lives. Even more hilarious was how they tried to sway her to kill the 'other one' instead for various reasons.

She tsked loudly, wagging her index finger at them. "You're right, I still need you both. So, I've decided I'll just kill someone important to you. Important to you, but useless to me." Again, the room was filled with her sadistic laughter as two sets of petrified gazes were unable to move from the stone floor.

* * *

 **And, we've come to another end of a chapter. I cannot begin to count the number of times I rewrote several scenes here, changing my mind about how I wanted them to play out. Some of you may ask, where are Takeshi and Hiroshi? Why didn't they celebrate Michiko's birthday or go visit her in the hospital? Don't worry, loyal readers, such information will be revealed in the next chapter.**

 **I'm not really confident when it comes to writing certain scenes - battle, interrogation, and now sadistic Fuko - so if anyone would like to offer some insight or pointers (or just their opinon on how I've written them thus far), I'd very much appreciate it.**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please leave a review if you can.**


	7. Handsome Men are Deceitful

_Chapter 7_

Slender fingers hastily scribbled on the papers that were necessary to have a patient discharged. Michiko watched the fingers move, her mind going back to the conversation that had developed in her hospital room. Sarada's mother, Sakura-san, had come by to tell her that she no longer needed to stay in the hospital, but that she didn't like the idea of her staying alone while she was recovering. Sakura-san seemed to be afraid that something might go wrong due to the nature of the jutsu that had been used on her.

And so, it was, that after much persuading on the pink-haired woman's part, that Michiko had agreed to stay with the Uchihas. The history of the clan was known to her, as it had been required reading from her father. He thought it was necessary that his children know at least the bare minimum about other clans. But, some clans did not have a very pleasant history. The Uchiha Clan was one of those unfortunate few.

With the paperwork filled out, Michiko followed Sakura confidently until they left the confines of the walls that surrounded Konoha Hospital. Her shoulders drooped and she rubbed her left forefinger against her right thumb, an act to signify nervousness. "Um," she hesitantly spoke up, her voice cracking slightly, "Sakura-san, does Sarada-chan's father...I mean, is he...did he say…"

No matter how she tried to phrase the sentence, she couldn't make herself ask it fully. Was the Uchiha patriarch okay with her staying at their home? It was such a tough question when placed on the tongue. She released a heavy breath, sighing at her own personal defeat.

Sakura looked down at her, green eyes shining with a smile. "It's fine. Sasuke-kun, that is, Sarada's father, gave his approval for your stay."

Relieved that Sakura had understood what she'd tried so hard to ask but couldn't, Michiko offered up a small smile of gratitude. Yet the nervous feeling within her gut did not disappear. She didn't know at all what Sarada's father was like or how to act around him. It was difficult enough acting as if she was already comfortable being around Sakura-san when the truth was the opposite.

Silence fell upon the two kunoichi on the rest of their walk. Michiko took the time to observe her surroundings more carefully. Konoha was larger than she'd at first thought and she was finding that there were still many places within the village that seemed 'new' to her. She had to learn about them, memorize them - not only as a shinobi, but for the sake of her becoming better connected to the village.

That was surely what her parents wished for as well, because parents wished the best for their children. Kotoka-san had emphasized as much in their conversations over the years. She was an elderly member of a sub-branch of clan Kihara. Often, Michiko had been left in the woman's care when her other caregivers had missions to attend to or other business. It was Kotoka-san who assured the weeping child laying across her lap that her parents would always love her, even when she was no longer living with them. The memory of the woman's soothing, warm presence wrapped around her, offering comfort and calm.

She felt more confidence, or perhaps determination, as she trailed along behind Sakura-san. Some of the villagers, despite not knowing who she was, smiled or waved at her. Michiko wasn't sure if it was because they had seen she was with the pink-haired woman or simply out of kindness. Still, she would smile or wave back. Forming bonds, no matter how small, with the citizens of the village was sure to make it feel more and more like her home.

Upon reaching the residence of the Uchiha family, Michiko walked in behind Sakura-san, slipping off her sandals at the doorway. It wouldn't be proper to wear one's shoes inside another's home. Her eyes searched for slippers to wear within the house, but there were none. It threw her off slightly, leaving her unsure of whether she should venture further into the house with only her socks on. The decision was not left up to her as Sarada-chan soon peeked around the corner of the entryway and called out to her.

"Michiko-chan, welcome! Why are you standing there? Hurry up and come in!"

Seeing that there was no room for argument with the headstrong Sarada, Michiko complied and walked forward. Out of the entryway, she felt extremely exposed and vulnerable in the home. It was a nice home, nothing too fancy or odd set about that might make one feel discomfort. And yet, she felt discomfort simply because it was another person's home – a person she wasn't even related to or knew well.

"Michiko-chan, would you like some juice?" the question came from Sakura-san, who was in the kitchen.

"Yes, please."

The response had been so silent that Michiko found herself surprised when Sakura-san came from the kitchen carrying two glasses of grape juice, setting them on a table in front of the couch. Sarada took a seat on the couch and grasped a glass, clearly comfortable in her own home. Prompted by the smile on Sakura-san's face, Michiko joined Sarada on the couch, hesitantly taking the other glass.

"Thank you, Sakura-san."

"No, no. It's just a glass of juice. I'm glad you accepted my invitation to stay here until you recover completely."

"It would have been rude to refuse," Michiko quickly responded.

Sarada, sensing the odd atmosphere to the conversation, decided to take charge to change it. "Michiko-chan, what's it like living on your own? It must be nice to have no one bossing you around."

"Wait, Sarada. That kind of question is – "

"It's okay. I mean, sometimes it would be nice to have someone to talk to. But I can cook for myself and there's lots of space. I thought about finding a pet, but it wouldn't be fair to leave an animal alone when I go on missions."

"That's true. I wanted a pet, but Mama said no."

"Because you wouldn't be the one taking care of it!" Sakura-san interjected, seating herself across from the two girls in a chair.

Michiko smiled lightly at the sight of the same angry expression on both mother and daughter. The two were quite alike, she thought. "What's it like, living here with your parents?"

"Eh? What do you mean? You lived with your parents in Kumogakure, so it shouldn't be too different."

"No. I lived in the clan compound, so it was always a bit different than living in the village. And I could go days without seeing my Papa sometimes. It was such a big maze of buildings on the outskirts of the village."

Sakura-san nodded along at Michiko's explanation, seeming to ponder the question herself. "I see. I've never thought of that myself since I grew up inside the village. But, there are clan compounds in Konoha too."

Pondering the question posed to her, Sarada adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her nose. It wasn't often that one asked about her living situation. She knew Michiko, but not that well yet to confide in her about her feelings regarding her Papa. And it wasn't as if there was anything relatively interesting to point out. "Well, living with Mama in the village is…being really close all the time. It's nice, because I can ask Mama for help and see her even if I don't want to." The girl muttered the last bit low enough for herself and Michiko to hear, hoping that her mother would not listen in.

"That sounds nice, having someone else nearby. You must love your Mama very much."

"Of course, I do."

"Sarada!" Sakura cried, her hands clasped together in front of her chest as she wore a bright smile. It wasn't often that she heard the dark-haired girl admit her true feelings. Her daughter did so like to act as if she were more mature than her age. "I'm so happy to hear that!"

Sarada's face flushed and she crossed her arms over her chest at the site of her mother's emotional outburst. "Geez, Mama, get a grip," she replied with a grumpy tone but a slight smile on her lips.

The conversation continued until Sakura declared it was time for her to begin preparation for dinner and Sarada decided she would show her room to Michiko. The three females dispersed shortly, only for Michiko to soon find herself in the kitchen helping prepare the food while Sarada skeptically eyed a kitchen knife and the onion she was meant to be cutting. Meal preparation that day in the Uchiha household ended with one member of the trio requiring a finger to be healed.

* * *

Hiroshi and Takeshi sat across from one another at a booth. They were within a café they'd decided to enter on a whim during their walk through the village. It had been Hiroshi's proposal that they meet up for the day to spend time together since they had no missions that week. Well, a proposal was what he was calling it. In truth, he'd gone to Takeshi's house and dragged the other moping boy out of his bed. Thus, Takeshi saw it as himself having been forcefully removed from his bed and thrown out the door of his home by his mother who insisted he go 'hang out with his friend'.

"Really, you're a nuisance," Takeshi grumbled, slumping down in the booth. He was attempting to avoid the attention of the other shinobi within the café, especially those three boys that looked close in age to him. How could he ever live down the sappy attitude if they noticed?

Hiroshi was busy staring at the screen of his phone, his fingers tapping at the screen. He didn't respond at all to his teammate's words.

"Hey! Did you drag me here so I could sit and watch you play a game or something?"

"I'm texting Michiko." The sentence was delivered without missing a beat, letting Takeshi know that Hiroshi had previously been listening to him.

As if it were a form of ninjutsu itself, the name of his female teammate made Takeshi feel as if he'd lost the ability to speak. He clenched his fists, staring down at the empty table.

"She's out of the hospital – staying at someone else's house – a healer, she says. Until she's fully healed. Should we ask her to come meet up with us? I bet she'd like to. I'll just send a – "

"Don't!"

The sudden shout managed to attract the attention of not only the other ninja in the café, but all patrons. Takeshi had one hand placed on Hiroshi's phone, as if he intended to snatch it away. The other boy wore an expression of genuine shock.

"Don't text her," Takeshi added in a quieter voice, releasing his grip on the phone. His hand fell to the top of the table instead and he sighed loudly. "Really! You're a real nuisance."

As the conversations around them continued, with a few subtle glances thrown their way from the boys in their age group, the two teammates remained silent. Rather than continue on with his text messaging, Hiroshi placed his phone within the pocket of his jacket, adjusting his forehead protector out of habit. He'd made a mistake, bringing up Michiko so soon. She was a topic he'd planned on easing into at some point during the day. But she'd seemed in such good spirits through the text messages that he'd forgotten just why she'd been in the hospital.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

The response that came was delayed, "Talk about what?"

"Nothing, just – Ah! I forgot. Michiko's birthday was a few days back and we didn't get her anything. Maybe we should find her something? A kunai? Flowers?"

"What? It was her birthday?"

"Yes. Which would she like more, a useful tool or something pretty?" Hiroshi was still pondering what sort of gift would be appropriate for his teammate, though it would be a few days late. Perhaps, he thought, the consultation of his sister would help.

"Wait. You knew? And you didn't say anything! We should have gone to see her."

Hiroshi stared at Takeshi with a raised brow. "Well, I thought about it, but your mom said you were locked in your room. It was hard enough to get you out today and considering what happened on the mission, I thought you might not want to…well, see her so soon."

As his friend and teammate continued to talk, the expression on Takeshi's face grew darker. "Why would you think that?"

"Because – "

"It was my fault. Like a coward, I couldn't move and Michiko was hurt because of that. You think so too, right? I talked so big at the academy and did so well in our classes, but," he paused here, clenching his fists again. "But I froze!"

Hiroshi nodded, adding, "Well, that."

A silence again surrounded the two, the words Takeshi had spoken sinking into both boys. It was the first time he'd talked about the happening, though he'd thought about since arriving home. And like Hiroshi said, he'd boarded himself up in his room, as if to escape from everything. His self-deprecation was getting him nowhere though, he realized. It had been their first encounter with real combat and no one could fault him for freezing. Michiko certainly wasn't angry with him, or she would have told Hiroshi. And Hiroshi would have mentioned that, hopefully. He was too busy moping over it all to even go visit her in the hospital, much less remember her birthday.

Running a hand through his already messy hair, Takeshi sighed. "Alright, you've made your point. Can we order something now? I'm hungry."

"But I ordered when we got here," Hiroshi commented bluntly. "You must not have been paying attention."

Shaking his head side to side, Takeshi laughed at this. "You really – I can't keep up with your thinking, Hiroshi. Whatever. It's fine so long as you didn't order vegetable soup."

"And have to watch you deliver a speech about your strong dislike for vegetables? I'd never torture myself like that."

The two shared a laugh, both attempting a smile that didn't quite reach their lips. It was fun, just the two of them together. They'd become good friends. But it didn't feel complete without having Michiko there to tease or rebuke them for arguing.

* * *

Calm. It was very calm at the hot springs. The spring was a little off the path, in a far corner of the Land of Wind. But there was such a quiet, peaceful atmosphere about it. It was away from all the hustle and bustle of the modern world. Nao was positive it was something she could not get used to, because prolonged silence would drive her to paranoia. For now, though, it made for a nice break from her duties.

She was sitting in the common area, having recently left the springs. The tea served had a bit of honey in it and was being slurped down by the ninja. It was quite clear that she hadn't received etiquette classes growing up or that she had any care for how others might perceive her manners. Honestly, Nao was just focusing on the taste of the tea as she continued to poor herself several glasses.

An unexpected stranger sat down across from her, at her table. Well, the table belonged to the keeper of the spring and it was the only one in the room – but this person could have asked to sit there before startling her. She'd spilt some tea on her kimono because of this strange man.

Preparing to complain to him, Nao opened her mouth and pointed at his chest. Words failed her when she saw his face. Long lashes, a defined jaw, plump lips; he fit all her criteria for a dateable man.

"H-hi," she meekly said, using the hand she'd been pointing at him with to brush her hair away from her face.

The man chuckled, pouring himself a cup of tea. "Hello. I'm Kurai. And who are, beautiful lady?"

Nao blushed at the word 'beautiful', now more aware of herself. "Nao," she answered.

"Why are you here? Honeymoon?"

"Eh? No! No way! I'm not married! Not at all! I'm just taking some time off from work. Temporarily, of course!"

The deep chuckle rose from Kurai's throat once more and Nao began to berate herself for her babbling. It was always like this for her with handsome men. Her heart would beat incredibly fast and her words would race away with it.

"What about you?" she questioned, hoping to continue the conversation without him thinking she was a complete loser.

"Mmm. I guess you could say I'm here for research."

His amber eyes met her green ones, locking on intensely. She wanted to ask what type of research, but the question wouldn't leave her lips. The moment was too transfixing and she was far too much of a sucker for handsome men to ruin it.

Setting his finished cup of tea down, the man stood, breaking the eye contact.

"Well, I hope to see you again soon, Nao Uehara."

He left with a smile while Nao blushed.

It dawned on her moments later that he had not been wearing a kimono. He was in regular ninja garb. And he'd called her 'Nao Uehara'. She never told him her last name.

Checking outside was no good. He was already gone and there was no trace. The innkeepers, when asked about him, said they hadn't seen a man come in or leave.

Deciding that her temporary vacation was going to have to be officially over, she ran to her room. She quickly packed away her stuff to head back to the village. Cursing her rotten luck, she grumbled about deceitful handsome men while doing so.


End file.
